LAHORE: Police on Saturday registered a murder case after a woman and her three children were found dead under mysterious circumstances in Valencia Town, Lahore.
The case was registered under Section 302 (murder) on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Zaigham Abbas.
According to the FIR, the circumstances suggested that all four family members had been killed; however, police said the exact cause of death and motive would be determined after the completion of the investigation and forensic analysis.
The victims were identified as 15-year-old boy Rehan, 12-year-old girl Arisha, 11-year-old boy Arsal, and their mother, Alina.
Police said forensic teams collected samples of food items, kitchen utensils and other evidence from the house to determine whether poisoning was involved. Investigators said halwa, rice and curry had been prepared at the residence on the day of the incident, and samples of the food were sent to the laboratory for examination.
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Fingerprints were collected from utensils, the dressing table, door handles and other objects to assist the investigation.
Officials said forensic reports would also help determine whether anyone other than the family members was present in the house at the time of the incident.
Police have taken the husband, Nasir, into custody and sent his mobile phone for forensic analysis. Investigators said Nasir had returned to Pakistan on July 1 after spending a considerable period in the United Kingdom and the United States.
His wife and children had also recently returned from the United States and had rented the house in the area for one month.
Police said the bodies were being examined through post-mortem procedures, and further legal action would be taken after receiving forensic findings.
According to preliminary information, the deceased woman was also undergoing treatment for a mental health condition.